Between You And Me- A Tale of Two Brothers
by FantasiaPiccolo
Summary: George has a hard time dealing with the loss of his twin. Harry is pained to see his 'brother' in so much pain and tries to help him. Does he succeed?


**A/N: This is my second fic and is NOT a sequel to the first one. It is entirely on a different theme. I hope you enjoy reading it. :)**

o0O0o

It was late night. No 12 Grimmauld Place was dark except for the living room on ground floor. A young adult sat there with a glass of hot chocolate in one hand and round rimmed glasses in other. He was staring at the fire place as if searching for something.

Harry Potter, 19 years old, found it quite relaxing to look at the red and golden tongues of fire. He was thinking about the memorial service held today in the evening. The newly appointed Minister of Magic, Kingsley Shacklebolt seemed promising in terms of bringing out the revolution that the wizarding community certainly needed. He had mentioned elaborate plans to bring the Ministry to its former glory, sans the silly, ambitious decisions that were taken time to time during Fudge's reign. There was a new Head of Auror announced as well. Harry didn't know what to think about the aurors which didn't support the Order. Antonio William was certainly one of the Aurors who remained loyal to the Ministry throughout. Perhaps loyalty was the trait for which Shacklebolt had chosen him over others.

What came quite as a shock was the presence of the Malfoys at the memorial. They actually looked sad for those who had lost friends and family in the war. Sad for those on the light side. Lucius went further to approach Harry directly should he need anything that he could provide. A request which Harry politely declined, at least for the time being.

Then, on a sadder note, there were a lot of families grieving. Andromeda Tonks being one of them. Teddy. Poor Teddy was orphaned much before Harry himself. At least Harry had spent fifteen months with his parents before losing them forever. Teddy got just one month. But Harry made a resolution that he would tell him as many things about his parents as possible so that he won't miss them much. He was quite sure that between him and Andromeda, the boy would surely grow up loved.

The other grieving family that affected him the most was the Weasleys. Fred was like a brother to Harry. Percy was heartbroken considering the fact that he was present when Fred died. George. He was behaving as if he had lost a part of himself. Harry was sure that he certainly felt so. There was a strange feeling in his gut that threatened to spill any more hot chocolate when he thought that no one would complete the half sentences spoken by George. He sighed and placed his cup on the table near the sofa, rubbed his eyes and was about to get up to go to bed when suddenly the fire flared green and George Weasley emerged.

"Blimey Harry. You didn't sleep?" George asked sheepishly.

"Nah mate! I was waiting for you" Harry replied with a smirk. George smiled and sat down with a thud on the sofa facing Harry.

"Kreacher!" Harry called and was soon answered by a pop and a "Master Harry is needing something?"

"Yes Kreacher, I would like you to bring a foot bath and a cup of hot chocolate for our guest" Harry said gesturing George. George only got enough time to raise his eyebrows before Kreacher handed him a cup of hot chocolate started forcing him to remove his shoes and fold his pants, which he attempted to refuse but to no avail. He gestured Harry for help but Harry simply continued laughing, shook his head and raised his shoulders helplessly. Ultimately what Kreacher wanted was done and George had his feet in the foot bath which had lukewarm water.

George sipped his chocolate and remarked "Umm… this is heavenly Harry."

"Told you so." Harry replied smiling. "Not everything girls do is bad. Or perhaps it would have been if this tub had some _essential oils,_ as they call it in it." George looked horrified at the mention of _essential oils_. Whatever they were. He was sure that it would have made his feet smelly. In the wrong way. Flowery perhaps. He asked, "What's in it then?"

"Salt" Harry answered, "Table salt"

"Merlin Harry! I don't have a sprained ankle" George said smiling. Harry rolled his eyes in response. George continued sipping his chocolate in silence and Harry was reading a magazine which suspiciously looked like upside down Quibbler which he had summoned from his study. Suddenly he lifted his head and asked, "So, George, what brings you here? Not that I don't like it. Just, you know, curious."

"I couldn't sleep. I didn't want to leave the shop empty but that room we used to share… it lacks something. I can't…" and his voice broke. He resumed drinking the hot chocolate in embarrassment. The chocolate was replenishing itself quite effectively, obviously as Harry wanted it to be. The only thing Harry didn't want was George keeping himself so tight lipped about the whole situation. He wanted him to speak up, to release whatever burden he was carrying. Since the night of Battle, George hadn't cried or spoke to anyone about Fred. He had certainly lost his humor and refused to participate in jokes.

Harry knew that it must be very hard on George to lose Fred. He himself lost a part of himself the same day. The only difference was that he was exceptionally glad to have lost that particular part. Having a part of Voldemort's soul is not at all enticing. But Harry certainly knew what was it like to feel the hole. He almost knew how George was feeling. Almost.

Suddenly George came up with a question himself "What are you doing up so late?"

"Told you, I was waiting for you to show up."

"I am asking for the real reason Harry."

Harry heaved and a sigh. "Alright, even I couldn't sleep."

"Why?"

"After all that happened you are asking me a Why George?"

"Oh. I get it." George answered staring his cup. One of the best things about George was that he didn't demand answers. He asked questions and if they were answered, well and good, else, he would drop it. Since the funeral, George had actually started consuming some food. Since then, almost every night he came to Grimmauld Place, just for Harry's company. They didn't talk much and he was certainly subjected to the foot bath treatment for the first time. Sometimes the morning found them sleeping on the sofa itself, although Harry had mentioned many times for him to take up the guest room. He even mentioned putting up a bed in his own room but George simply declined, saying that he didn't came there to sleep. Ironically, he contradicted his own statement almost every night. He had stopped visiting three nights ago, since the time he moved back to the flat above WWW. Harry gave himself a cheers thinking that George was definitely heading on a road for recovery. He now understood that George had been forcing himself since then to stay there. It broke Harry's heart to see his 'brother' in so much pain. Fred and George were certainly the best 'brothers' he had. He knew that he had to bring the old George back.

Harry asked George "Did Ron tell you about our last year?"

"No." George answered almost in a shock as Harry usually didn't talk about himself.

"Well, in that case, I think you deserve a bed time story" Harry said, smiling. With that, he retold the story of last one year including the detailed planning of breaking into Gringotts and the ride on Dragon. Like Hermione and Ron, George was also a patient listener who responded well to the story, with all the exclamations at the right moments. He described the presence of The Deathly Hallows which of course included the resurrection stone. George asked, "Where is it now?"

"Lost." Harry simply answered.

"Lost? How?"

"In the forest. I dropped it."

"You what Harry?"

"Dropped it George."

"Why? It could have…."

"Nothing can bring back the dead George. No don't shake your head. Not even resurrection stone. You _Have _read the story. Haven't you?"

"You don't understand Harry. I miss him. You don't know how….."

"Exactly George. I don't even know how my mother's sang me to sleep. I don't know of my father's favorite color. Yet when I saw them, I knew that they can't stay with me forever. It's like they don't belong here. It felt wrong to keep them, or even be tempted to do so…"

"If you don't want to help me, then say so." George said sulkily.

They sat in silence for a while. Harry knew that George truly didn't believe the things he said but still it hurt him to be strong enough for not rushing to the forbidden forest in search of the stone in a futile attempt to help George. He just hoped that George would spill out whatever else he was feeling about the situation. He wasn't wrong. After a few seconds, George said, "I don't know how I'll mange without him. Yeah I know I have my family, but sometimes they get too nosy. He understood me like no one else did. Not even Angelina. I know Ron is trying and he certainly _is_ a lot better than others, perhaps excluding you." Harry's cheeks flushed bright pink at the comment. George smiled briefly and continued.

"I am trying. Honestly mate, I am trying. It's not working." He said pounding the arm rest of the sofa with his fist. Continuing the same treatment towards the arm rest with each word, he said helplessly "It's not working Harry. Damn! It isn't …." His voice broke but this time he didn't stop himself from breaking down in front of Harry, who by now had jumped up to him and pulled him up, hugging him. He began rubbing his back and said "Shh George. No one expects it to work this soon. You have plenty of time. It will be alright." Since George's sobs hadn't stopped by then, Harry continued rubbing his back soothingly and mumbling nonsense soothing words. Finally George broke apart and gave an embarrassed smile.

"Oh well, at least I gave you a wonderful gift of soaked up shirt". Harry lifted up the left shoulder of his shirt and found that it was indeed, in George's words 'soaked up'. He shrugged and the shirt dried itself. George continued, "I must leave now."

"Say that again George Weasley and I promise you that you'll regret it. You are staying in my guest room. Do. You. Understand?"

"Y…ye...S…s" George stammered, clearly shocked by sudden change in Harry's demeanor. Harry smiled a satisfied smile and guided him to the 'Guest Room'. Before leaving he said, "By the way George, try to get up early. I need your help in something I need to do. Goodnight" in a friendly tone.

"Anything." George mumbled in reply. All the talking and crying made him more tired than he had been in ages. That night was the first night after a week that he slept without nightmares of Fred vanishing in thin air before him. He often woke up startled and somehow managed not to scream.

o0O0o

The next morning was no different in the way George woke up. He was still startled awake by Harry who suddenly thought that jumping on him was a good way to wake him up. The event that followed was certainly different. A pillow fight. After they had exhausted themselves, they each went to fresh themselves up, laughing hysterically.

"So," George asked on the breakfast table, (which was elaborately set up by Kreacher in spite of the protests by both Harry and George) "What was that you were talking about?"

"Oh that? There's a friend of mine who is setting up his shop in Diagon Alley. Sort of Help Center, you know. He'll be checking for any signs of wear and tear in the magical core of people affected by the war for free. The shop is for the paintings. They are absolutely gorgeous. You might want some of them for WWW. He insisted on me getting checked up and being his first non-paid costumer, and well, you know how I hate to do this 'Checking up' done. So I want you to accompany me."

"Ron or Hermione could have come."

"You know Ron. He won't. And, well Hermione, she 's leaving for Australia today."

"Blimey! I didn't know." George said with a mouth full of food which certainly reminded Harry of Ron in all his table mannerism glory. He gulped his food and answered, "Not your fault mate. She didn't tell anybody except Ron and me."

"Hmm" was all George said.

Harry congratulated himself and his thoughts again drifted to yesterday's memorial service.

Half an hour later they were standing in a room with lots of moving portraits and paintings of some very fine castles. One of them was all blue and had many sculptures of ice. Harry wondered if it was perhaps distantly related to Bauxbeaten Castle. There was a dusty table and he wondered how the table managed to collect so much of dust in a matter of a few hours. There was a stand with a small bell. Overall, the shop seemed to be as spooky as Ollivander's plus the staring portraits of men with beard and minus the boxes containing wands. Harry pulled the string which ringed the bell louder than it seemed possible, considering its size. In an instant, a young man emerged from the back room.

"Ah Harry Potter. Pleasure. I was thinking you might not arrive. Well who is this young friend of yours?"

"George Weasley" George replied. He found man's presence a sort of buffer to the spooky atmosphere of the room in general.

Harry said, "Not in my dreams Camillo. I can't break a promise now. Can I?"

"Hmm" Camillo said, one hand tracing circles on his chin, eyeing George he said "You'll have the test done too. Won't you?"

Harry smiled inwardly. 'Camillo should have been an actor' he mused.

"Err…..no…I came here to give Harry company."

Camillo smiled, "Well, let us first attend to Mr Potter here and then we can see what can be done about you." With that he carried a series of spells on Harry, who seemed unaffected them. Then he produced a parchment with some runes on it and said, "Place it in your bedroom. Come and see me after three days."

"I'll try." Harry said and wondered what in the world was that about. Meanwhile, Camillo somehow, Harry never found out how, made George comply and was running some more spells on him. After that, he said, "Not as extensive as Mr Potter's but still a significant amount of damage. You are not eager to come here again I take it. " George smiled apologetically in response. " Well, in that case," Camillo continued, "I'd like to give you a trinket. But that I'll be able to provide you three days later. I guess Mr Potter will pick it up for you."

"That was strange" George remarked as they left the shop.

"Yeah." Was all Harry said and somehow managed not to say, "You don't know about half the strangeness though."

o0O0o

Three days later, harry showed himself in the WWW. He called George aside and gave him a locket. He quickly wore it without question as he had seen Lee approaching. He didn't want everyone to know about that strange visit. Just when he was closing the shutter at the end of the day, he felt the locket shudder. He pulled the chain out and held the locket in his palm. That is when he noticed that it had a clasp. He opened it to find something he didn't expect in a million years.

Fred was smiling in a portrait.

"Merlin's pants! How did you-"

"Get here? Got pained of course. This is all-"

"Harry's doing. I know. Something about that man-"

"No he is good. But the little bugger with green eyes and innocent face-"

"A bit too innocent if you ask me-"

"And glasses-"

"Round ones-"

"Got you." Fred completed his brother's sentence.

George was more than happy. The hole he had been feeling since a week seemed somehow filled. Not completely, No. But yes, somewhat filled. He was intrigued that how was it possible for someone to paint a dead man's portrait. He was certainly angry from Harry for keeping this a secret from him. Merlin! He could have saved three more sleepless nights.

o0O0o

Meanwhile, Harry was thinking about his meeting after the speech which he had with a stranger

_A young man with side burns was sitting far away and staring Harry. After his speech, instead of going to Ginny, Harry went to see the stranger. "I'm sorry I didn't recognize you."_

"_Camillo Jordan sir. I was commissioned by the Headmistress to activate the portrait."_

"_Activate the portrait?"_

"_Ah yes. Few know that the portraits need to be activated. They don't start talking themselves." he replied laughing._

"_And if you don't mind my asking, whose portrait?"_

"_Why? Of course Severus Snape's. Who else? My Da made it. He is no longer the profession but I'm carrying it. Our family has been making portraits since generations."_

_Harry thought for a moment. He wanted a lot of portraits. Of all the people who lost their lives._

"_Can you make portraits of people who died in the war?"_

_Camillo laughed a hearty laugh. "Merlin no! Unless of course you want to have that of someone who has a very much alive twin. And even then, it should be done before the end of fourth moon cycle including the cycle in which the person died."_

"_Twin?"_

"_They share the core before birth. So the essence can be obtained, copied that is, with a quick spell."_

_Harry quickly planned the story and the visit. Camillo certainly wanted to open a shop but that free service was absolutely a garbage story. 'Plot development' Harry thought wryly._

o0O0o

George decided to pay a visit to his mum. Afterall, she deserved to know about the locket. He entered smiling but the next second, his smile vanished. It was instead replaced with a glowering rage for he had seen Harry on the kitchen chair. Then quite abruptly, it changed into a thankful expression and then something else and then something else. Harry really didn't get enough time to register all the expressions that George flashed in a few milliseconds.

"How could you…."

"It was a surprise George."

"Surprise my bloo-"

Mrs Weasley suddenly cut her son's words and threateningly said, "George Weasley You. Will. Not. Complete. That. Sentence."

"Or mother will make a new stew with you in it." George's pendant spoke up, snapping open in its own accord.

Suddenly Mrs Weasley turned towards Harry, misty eyed and said. "You have given him too…"

Harry shrugged and said, "They are each other's halves Mrs Weasley."

"Wait a second" George said, clearly perplexed, "What does 'him too' mean?"

Ginny entered and happily declared, "Oh George! I think I have a surprise for you." Seeing their expressions she asked timidly, "Is something wrong George?"

"No little sister." This time Fred didn't complete or add something because he didn't want to ruin Ginny's mood. George gestured her to lead the way and they entered the living room of the burrow, which was currently hosting the whole Weasley family tree. There, above the fire place stood a full size portrait of Fred Weasley. George gaped and stared from it to his locket and then to Harry and then followed this cycle two times more before he was interrupted by Fred's full size portrait,

"And here I thought-" then the pendant continued

"That I had a twin-"

"For a brother-"

"For whom nothing-"

"Never anything-"

"Would be so much-"

"That he would behave-"

"In such undignified manner."

"Honestly George!-"

"Gaping?"

Then they both sighed together. George and Mrs Weasley continued staring from one portrait to other while others where content with staring Harry. But soon they found someone else to stare.

"Bloody Hell!" Screamed Mrs Weasley, putting aside all her 'no-swearing' ideals. Now that, obviously was a sight to see. Oblivious to the amusement she had caused the whole group, especially the boys, she continued

"As if two weren't enough. Now I have to deal with three of you. Fred-one, Fred-two and George. I HATE WARS!" This was followed by a few seconds silence. Then she smiled fondly which clearly showed how much she 'regretted' two portraits.

The room burst into laughter. That is how Arthur Weasley found his family as he stumbled out of the floo fifteen minutes later.

o0O0o

**I hope you enjoyed it. Please review and let me know of the parts you liked and parts you didn't and help me improve.**


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